Well, so much for going with a fresh, new approach.
I’ve said it before – nothing the Avalanche does ever totally surprises me. At this point, today’s news that Tony Granato will be the head coach – again – had the effect on me of an already electrocuted man falling into the live wire fence one more time.

I’ll have more to say on this matter later, but for now it’s back to the computer to resurrect all my old profiles of Tony G.

Here’s one quick thought, though: you can’t tell me this move doesn’t at least have Pierre Lacroix’s fingerprints on it just a little. He’s the most stubborn man alive, and hired Granato in the first place. He might want to “see this thing through” and prove to the world Granato was a great choice all along.

Yeah, Granato has a great regular-season record. His playoff record is also 9-9 (I had it 7-9 in an earlier version of this blog, which once again goes to prove what a moron I am with numbers and math).

I’ve thought it over since earlier in the day, and one of the things I’m starting to wonder is: did we maybe pre-judge Granato a little too much?

You look at his record – 72-33-17-11 – and you think, “Hmm, that’s not too bad, is it?

Yeah, he had about eight Hall of Famers on his teams. And, yeah, he lost a first-round series to a Minnesota team he had down 3-1. But let’s not forget how hot that Wild team got in 2003. They beat a very good Vancouver team in the second round, too.

The next season, 2003-04, is considered a disappointment in Avs history. After all, this was a team with a top six forward lineup of Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay, Paul Kariya, Peter Forsberg and Teemu Selanne. And, a defense with Adam Foote and Rob Blake.

But – and yes, it’s an excuse – but the fact is injuries hurt that team a lot. Astute Avs fans will recall the team was rolling, with the best record in the league in February of that season, when injuries started coming in waves. Kariya hurt his wrist and was ineffective after that, and then he hurt his ankle in the last game of the regular season and missed all but one game of the playoffs. Selanne had the worst year of his career, mainly because of a bum knee that would need surgery. And Forsberg was hurt a lot of the second half, of course.

But that team did DID win a first-round series against a favored Dallas team that had home-ice advantage, and it went to six games against a good San Jose team that got away with a mugging, rodeo-style of defense in the pre-lockout, dead puck era. And, David Aebischer was their starting goalie.

So, while I’m surprised by the move and thought the Avs would move in a fresher direction behind the bench, the question is not an unfair one: Did Granato really get enough of a fair shake the first time around? It IS a fact that he has the highest winning percentage in Avalanche history. Granted, he’s also coached far fewer games than some coaches in the team’s history, but the numbers are the numbers.

I, like a lot of people, probably underestimated the fact that Granato wasn’t sent packing in 2004, but instead was kept on the bench still. The Avs’ front office obviously sees something in Granato, otherwise he never would have gotten the chances he’s gotten.

The cynic in me also says this: The Avs are uncomfortable at the thought of a high-profile, opinionated type of coach, a guy like a Pat Burns or Ron Wilson or Barry Melrose. They want in-house, home-grown guys who they can better control. The real cynic in me says they only want subservient puppets, and they want to stubbornly go against public opinion (i.e., the media) and never admit a mistake. Hence, Granato’s rehire.

I guess next year we’ll start to find out who was right.

– It’s in my story tomorrow, but I think the chances are good Jose Theodore comes back. I talked to his agent today and he’s going to sit down for lunch with Giguere next week in Toronto, and talk some contract over their chicken and pasta. The agent, Don Meehan, has a pretty good relationship with Giguere, having already done one major deal with Giguere (Ryan Smyth).

– I pressed Giguere a bit today on whether Lacroix’s fingerprints are on this rehire, and he got a little defensive. No, he’s not a puppet, was the thrust of his message and no, it was not Lacroix’s call in bringing Granato back. But he also did say that he’s not going to just disavow everything Lacroix ever did either, just to show he’s “his own man.”

– People have gotten all over Granato for the team’s awful power play this year (28th) in the league. But the one full year Granato did coach, the Avs finished third in the league on the PP.

– Granato got the offer late last night, and signed it soon after. There’s no word on who will replace him as an assistant (assuming the team’s institution, Jacques Cloutier, stays on again). I wouldn’t be surprised if Sylvain Lefebvre or even Steve Konowalchuk gets a shot, though.

This will really get the boys going. That 18″ move to the left behind the bench should make a HUGE difference with the power play.

They better have some personnel moves up their sleeves.

goldenboy

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ……………………..

This will really get the boys going. That 18″ move to the left behind the bench should make a HUGE difference with the power play.

They better have some personnel moves up their sleeves.

BiB

This is the worst possible scenario for me. Granato took a loaded team and choked away two playoff seasons. He lost in the first round to the fricken Wild when Patrick Roy was still in goal. And he had to at least be partially responsible for one of the worst PPs in the history of hockey last year.

I just can’t believe this. Horrible move by PL errrrrrr FG. I agree completely, AD, if we ever needed proof that FG is just PL’s puppet, here it is. His arrogance has hurt this team much more than it has helped it ever since he fired Hartley and started puking on the salary cap (for example, by trying to convince us that Turgeon and Breezby were adequate replacements for Forsberg and Foote).

BiB

This is the worst possible scenario for me. Granato took a loaded team and choked away two playoff seasons. He lost in the first round to the fricken Wild when Patrick Roy was still in goal. And he had to at least be partially responsible for one of the worst PPs in the history of hockey last year.

I just can’t believe this. Horrible move by PL errrrrrr FG. I agree completely, AD, if we ever needed proof that FG is just PL’s puppet, here it is. His arrogance has hurt this team much more than it has helped it ever since he fired Hartley and started puking on the salary cap (for example, by trying to convince us that Turgeon and Breezby were adequate replacements for Forsberg and Foote).

Ken J.

Nothing like making the same mistake twice. Good grief, they already squandered one very talented team with Granato at the helm. I never did like Lacroix……..

thedoctor

this DEFINITELY has PL’s fingerprints on it. Completely infuriating.

Ken J.

Nothing like making the same mistake twice. Good grief, they already squandered one very talented team with Granato at the helm. I never did like Lacroix……..

thedoctor

this DEFINITELY has PL’s fingerprints on it. Completely infuriating.

Captain Mysterio

What a joke. Pierre Lacroix, for the last five or six years, has been a disgrace. And I say Lacroix and not Giguere because this move makes it clear Giguere has been a puppet all along. This is sad, but the only hope for this team now is for them to get so bad that Kroenke starts losing money and he takes the axe to Lacroix. It’s not going to happen though.

Granato… there was actually a decent reason to part ways with Q, but this move wipes away those positives in one fail swoop. He was a clueless coach before and there’s no reason to think he’ll be any better now…

Captain Mysterio

What a joke. Pierre Lacroix, for the last five or six years, has been a disgrace. And I say Lacroix and not Giguere because this move makes it clear Giguere has been a puppet all along. This is sad, but the only hope for this team now is for them to get so bad that Kroenke starts losing money and he takes the axe to Lacroix. It’s not going to happen though.

Granato… there was actually a decent reason to part ways with Q, but this move wipes away those positives in one fail swoop. He was a clueless coach before and there’s no reason to think he’ll be any better now…

Wingnut

Looks like Lacroix and Giguere picked thier new Pawn – the old Pawn, Granato. Cami Granato would have been a better choice. Apparently nobody more maleable was available and Detroit’s Zamboni driver declined the job in favor of swinging octopi. The Av’s will never get better until management gets thier “influence” out of the coaching position. Who do you think made the decision to start Theodore in game 3 against Detroit? That’s a coach’s call and I can’t believe for 1 second Quenneville made that decision “independently”. Hey, why not bring back Crawford to assist Granato to keep the streak of dumb coaching decisions perfect. Being a Wings fan in Denver, I was very excited at the prospect of a revived rivalry between the Wings and Avs but the Avs have issues in almost every category: weak coach, no goalie, half the team facing free agency, Forsberg is done, Sakik is old, bandwagon fans, and most importantly, poor scouting and no draft opportunities. The Avs are destined to languish at the bottom of the Western Conference for the forseeable future. Why? MANAGEMENT

Wingnut

Looks like Lacroix and Giguere picked thier new Pawn – the old Pawn, Granato. Cami Granato would have been a better choice. Apparently nobody more maleable was available and Detroit’s Zamboni driver declined the job in favor of swinging octopi. The Av’s will never get better until management gets thier “influence” out of the coaching position. Who do you think made the decision to start Theodore in game 3 against Detroit? That’s a coach’s call and I can’t believe for 1 second Quenneville made that decision “independently”. Hey, why not bring back Crawford to assist Granato to keep the streak of dumb coaching decisions perfect. Being a Wings fan in Denver, I was very excited at the prospect of a revived rivalry between the Wings and Avs but the Avs have issues in almost every category: weak coach, no goalie, half the team facing free agency, Forsberg is done, Sakik is old, bandwagon fans, and most importantly, poor scouting and no draft opportunities. The Avs are destined to languish at the bottom of the Western Conference for the forseeable future. Why? MANAGEMENT

HM

I was puzzled by the news … is he a stop gap until Roy is ready for the job and then he can step back into his assistant role? Anyway, welcome back Tony

HM

I was puzzled by the news … is he a stop gap until Roy is ready for the job and then he can step back into his assistant role? Anyway, welcome back Tony

miker

Good gawd, give Trottier a 2nd chance before Granato! No offense to Tony, but I agree with goldenboy – 18 inches to the left ain’t gonna improve that horrendous power play. And what happend to wanting a coach with a “offensive flair”? If I hadn’t cancelled my season tickets already, I’d definitely do it now.

miker

Good gawd, give Trottier a 2nd chance before Granato! No offense to Tony, but I agree with goldenboy – 18 inches to the left ain’t gonna improve that horrendous power play. And what happend to wanting a coach with a “offensive flair”? If I hadn’t cancelled my season tickets already, I’d definitely do it now.

Trisha

It is an interesting move to be sure, but Francois Giguere values Joe Sakic and perhaps Joe Sakic was consulted on this and Tony Granato was his choice. I like the way Tony Granato stood up for the team when he was arguing with Mike Babcock during that game whileJoel Quenneville stood there and did nothing. That was a very revealing moment. Tony Granato is a good person and deserves another chance. He probably learned a lot about coaching over these last few years, so I think we shouldn’t be judging the move until we see how he does in his second go round. Maybe he will bring in a strong assistant who can get the special teams to play better.
Congratulations Tony!

Trisha

It is an interesting move to be sure, but Francois Giguere values Joe Sakic and perhaps Joe Sakic was consulted on this and Tony Granato was his choice. I like the way Tony Granato stood up for the team when he was arguing with Mike Babcock during that game whileJoel Quenneville stood there and did nothing. That was a very revealing moment. Tony Granato is a good person and deserves another chance. He probably learned a lot about coaching over these last few years, so I think we shouldn’t be judging the move until we see how he does in his second go round. Maybe he will bring in a strong assistant who can get the special teams to play better.
Congratulations Tony!

Angela

WTF??? Unbelievable…..

Angela

WTF??? Unbelievable…..

brad

What a disaster. Are the Avs turning into the Nuggets where no one in particular in charge and too many fingers are in the pie? I wish Lacroix had either retired or had enough pride to stay GM and take the lumps for the crappy decisions he is currently making. I’m totally disappointed.

brad

What a disaster. Are the Avs turning into the Nuggets where no one in particular in charge and too many fingers are in the pie? I wish Lacroix had either retired or had enough pride to stay GM and take the lumps for the crappy decisions he is currently making. I’m totally disappointed.

Jeru1975

AD…Your statement sums is up perfectly…”Well, so much for going with a fresh, new approach”.

Here we are, basking in Carousel Q’s departure and WHAM, his replacement is Granato!! Its’ not fresh, it’s not exciting, it’s the same ol’ crap as before. How are we supposed to improve our PP with the same staff as before?

I read that the Avs feel he has gained experience over the last few years but look who he gained it from!! I hate to say it but I honestly think we’re going to find out that Granato was better during his LAST tenure as coach as opposed to the one coming up.

AD…Your statement sums is up perfectly…”Well, so much for going with a fresh, new approach”.

Here we are, basking in Carousel Q’s departure and WHAM, his replacement is Granato!! Its’ not fresh, it’s not exciting, it’s the same ol’ crap as before. How are we supposed to improve our PP with the same staff as before?

I read that the Avs feel he has gained experience over the last few years but look who he gained it from!! I hate to say it but I honestly think we’re going to find out that Granato was better during his LAST tenure as coach as opposed to the one coming up.

Sickening. Now we’re not even trying to win, we’re just letting Pierre LaCroix’s surrogate son pretend to be a head coach again.

Matt

Sickening. Now we’re not even trying to win, we’re just letting Pierre LaCroix’s surrogate son pretend to be a head coach again.

Mike at MHH

Well, instead of saying they had the wrong Granato coaching special teams, I’ll be able to say that have the wrong Granato as head coach. Maybe Tony will hire his sister to fix the horrendous powerplay?

Mike at MHH

Well, instead of saying they had the wrong Granato coaching special teams, I’ll be able to say that have the wrong Granato as head coach. Maybe Tony will hire his sister to fix the horrendous powerplay?

Mike1969

Good Move. Tony had already proven himself, then stuck around as assistant under Q which must have been hard to swallow. I think we would have had a cup this year if we had been healthy against Detroit. (Which obviously wasn’t one of things that was Q’s fault)I hope the first thing Tony does is hires a crack medical staff including a strength and conditioning expert …and a faith healer!

Mike1969

Good Move. Tony had already proven himself, then stuck around as assistant under Q which must have been hard to swallow. I think we would have had a cup this year if we had been healthy against Detroit. (Which obviously wasn’t one of things that was Q’s fault)I hope the first thing Tony does is hires a crack medical staff including a strength and conditioning expert …and a faith healer!

Bummed

This is very, very disappointing. Granato should have been let go the same day as Q, and now his is coach?! Again?! While the competition would have been high, (6 teams currently without a coach) not to wait until the cup is over is a mistake, with assistants on both sides of the bench eager to coach a team.

Even if we did not get one of the two, there are many better options than Tony Granato available…

Bummed

This is very, very disappointing. Granato should have been let go the same day as Q, and now his is coach?! Again?! While the competition would have been high, (6 teams currently without a coach) not to wait until the cup is over is a mistake, with assistants on both sides of the bench eager to coach a team.

Even if we did not get one of the two, there are many better options than Tony Granato available…

Sean

I did not see this coming. Is Pierre Lacroix still the GM for this team? Why not at least wait and see what happens in two weeks with the coaches still in the playoffs?

Hopefully Tony has learned from past mistakes.

Sean

I did not see this coming. Is Pierre Lacroix still the GM for this team? Why not at least wait and see what happens in two weeks with the coaches still in the playoffs?

Hopefully Tony has learned from past mistakes.

Dario

Wow, lots of negative reactions here. I’m not thrilled about Granato but I think there are some silver linings that fans should consider with Granato.

First, he did lose with a loaded lineup against the Wild. I will admit I was crushed at the time. However, Granato was as green as a coach could be at the time and he was playing against Jacques Lemaire in the pre-lockout dead puck era of hook and grab. Really a perfect storm for Lemaire in retrospect. In the second year he beat Dallas and then his team got abolutely stoned against Nabakov and the Sharks.
Second, I know the PP was horrid this year. However, Granato did oversee a decent PP last year and as head coach in ’02 and ’03 he had a great PP. (He also kept the division winning streak alive).

There’s a lot of negatives to see with Granato but there are some positives to consider. He will be a lot better for the goaltenders. He did a magnificent job with Abby in ’03 even when management almost undercut his playoff run with Salo at the trade deadline (sure could use Gilbert right about now). He coaches a more puck possession offense with chances off transitions and speed in to the offensive zone. The Avs never had goal scoring trouble and players like Hejduk and Tangauy responded particularly well.

The next step is to get Dineen in as the new assistant to be Babcock’s equivalent of a Mcllenan. That is assuming that Dineen doesn’t take a head coaching job somewhere else.

Dario

Wow, lots of negative reactions here. I’m not thrilled about Granato but I think there are some silver linings that fans should consider with Granato.

First, he did lose with a loaded lineup against the Wild. I will admit I was crushed at the time. However, Granato was as green as a coach could be at the time and he was playing against Jacques Lemaire in the pre-lockout dead puck era of hook and grab. Really a perfect storm for Lemaire in retrospect. In the second year he beat Dallas and then his team got abolutely stoned against Nabakov and the Sharks.
Second, I know the PP was horrid this year. However, Granato did oversee a decent PP last year and as head coach in ’02 and ’03 he had a great PP. (He also kept the division winning streak alive).

There’s a lot of negatives to see with Granato but there are some positives to consider. He will be a lot better for the goaltenders. He did a magnificent job with Abby in ’03 even when management almost undercut his playoff run with Salo at the trade deadline (sure could use Gilbert right about now). He coaches a more puck possession offense with chances off transitions and speed in to the offensive zone. The Avs never had goal scoring trouble and players like Hejduk and Tangauy responded particularly well.

The next step is to get Dineen in as the new assistant to be Babcock’s equivalent of a Mcllenan. That is assuming that Dineen doesn’t take a head coaching job somewhere else.

EJT

This is disappointing news. But not quite as disappointing as Mike Haynes returning to the broadcast booth.

EJT

This is disappointing news. But not quite as disappointing as Mike Haynes returning to the broadcast booth.

1unhappyAvsfan

YUCK!!! Granato is a good guy, but this team really needed to move in another direction, especially on offense.
Maybe sister Cammi could coach the power play? Couldn’t do any worse that Tony did with them last year…
It’s time for Pierre to go away and let Frankie G actually run the team.

1unhappyAvsfan

YUCK!!! Granato is a good guy, but this team really needed to move in another direction, especially on offense.
Maybe sister Cammi could coach the power play? Couldn’t do any worse that Tony did with them last year…
It’s time for Pierre to go away and let Frankie G actually run the team.

J.

TERRIBLE! TERRIBLE!!! TERRIBLE…

What this avs organization proved to us today is that they have no faith in the current group of players they have put on the ice.

When there are accomplished coaches like Pat Burns, Ron Wilson, and possibly John Torterella, and young upstart guys on SUCCESSFUL TEAMS like Todd McLellan and Kevin Dineen ALL AVAILABLE… WHY in the world do you not interview any of them and just go with a guy who has not given this team any consistency since the first day he got here???

Is it just me, or do you remember the Granato days as days where we won, but we should’ve won more? With Kariya and Sellane, he was coaching an all-star team and we still played boring, uninspired hockey.

By not even interviewing, it tells me this avs management has no faith in the present by putting the Granato patch on a leaky ship.

The only upside from this is that we get to hire a new assistant coach, and with neutral Granato back in the driver’s seat, maybe we can get someone who actually knows how to run a powerplay.

Maybe Gig-croix will surprise us all, but my expectations are for another chemistry-lacking, non-consistent year, with the silver lining being that come spring, we might be rid of Tony Granato once and for all.

J.

TERRIBLE! TERRIBLE!!! TERRIBLE…

What this avs organization proved to us today is that they have no faith in the current group of players they have put on the ice.

When there are accomplished coaches like Pat Burns, Ron Wilson, and possibly John Torterella, and young upstart guys on SUCCESSFUL TEAMS like Todd McLellan and Kevin Dineen ALL AVAILABLE… WHY in the world do you not interview any of them and just go with a guy who has not given this team any consistency since the first day he got here???

Is it just me, or do you remember the Granato days as days where we won, but we should’ve won more? With Kariya and Sellane, he was coaching an all-star team and we still played boring, uninspired hockey.

By not even interviewing, it tells me this avs management has no faith in the present by putting the Granato patch on a leaky ship.

The only upside from this is that we get to hire a new assistant coach, and with neutral Granato back in the driver’s seat, maybe we can get someone who actually knows how to run a powerplay.

Maybe Gig-croix will surprise us all, but my expectations are for another chemistry-lacking, non-consistent year, with the silver lining being that come spring, we might be rid of Tony Granato once and for all.

Eric

I’m predicting another so-so season with Tony and old legs sakic-Forsberg in the fold until Patrick Roy is ready to come and rebuild this team in 2010.

Eric

I’m predicting another so-so season with Tony and old legs sakic-Forsberg in the fold until Patrick Roy is ready to come and rebuild this team in 2010.

Aaron

I’m shocked… not by the decision but by when it came. I would love to see what the Avs thought process was. I just wonder what this says to the players. They waited to make a decision that they most cetainly could have made weeks ago. I’m going to wait and keep a level head and see what happens with this.

Aaron

I’m shocked… not by the decision but by when it came. I would love to see what the Avs thought process was. I just wonder what this says to the players. They waited to make a decision that they most cetainly could have made weeks ago. I’m going to wait and keep a level head and see what happens with this.

Aaron

Oh and great job, Adrian Dater, referencing “The Who” in the led to your story. It was perfect and exactly what I was thinking when I heard he was hired

Aaron

Oh and great job, Adrian Dater, referencing “The Who” in the led to your story. It was perfect and exactly what I was thinking when I heard he was hired

jeev

What a horrible choice, this management has made themselves look even more foolish than the first time they hired this guy. So many coaches available, and they rush to prove a point, c’mon. Todd McClellan would have been a fantastic choice. If you wanted to dig into the past, why not Bob Hartley? Stan Kroenke please sell this team, and bring in an owner that wants to win, and that will hire competent GM’s. Pierre does the Chris Drury and Stephan Yelle for two players and a bag of pucks ring a bell, I thought you retired and handed the team to Giguere.

jeev

What a horrible choice, this management has made themselves look even more foolish than the first time they hired this guy. So many coaches available, and they rush to prove a point, c’mon. Todd McClellan would have been a fantastic choice. If you wanted to dig into the past, why not Bob Hartley? Stan Kroenke please sell this team, and bring in an owner that wants to win, and that will hire competent GM’s. Pierre does the Chris Drury and Stephan Yelle for two players and a bag of pucks ring a bell, I thought you retired and handed the team to Giguere.

So like PL still controls this team but wont take the fall when things go wrong… pussy… let FG take over

pr99

So like PL still controls this team but wont take the fall when things go wrong… pussy… let FG take over

KM

Wow. Am I about the only one not shocked by this decision? I figured Granato would be the choice if Sakic chose to play on and not retire. Granato was removed and “demoted” and probably put back into an assistant position in order to learn more of a head coaching position. He had potential, but needed time and more experience. He’s been the one over the past few years to develope a relationship with the players. He knows what will motivate them. Since he is still with the organization, he obviously knows what they want, too. So hopefully it will bring about a winning combination. I say give him a chance. Giguere is willing to do what is needed to win. Be supportive. Stop being so criticle. I think Granato was the logical choice.

KM

Wow. Am I about the only one not shocked by this decision? I figured Granato would be the choice if Sakic chose to play on and not retire. Granato was removed and “demoted” and probably put back into an assistant position in order to learn more of a head coaching position. He had potential, but needed time and more experience. He’s been the one over the past few years to develope a relationship with the players. He knows what will motivate them. Since he is still with the organization, he obviously knows what they want, too. So hopefully it will bring about a winning combination. I say give him a chance. Giguere is willing to do what is needed to win. Be supportive. Stop being so criticle. I think Granato was the logical choice.

Al

FIRE Francois Giguere NOW! He will single handedly ruin this once-proud organization. Stupid decisions with player personnel, and now stupid decisions with the coaching staff.

I’m already predicting that we can kiss the playoffs good bye next year.

Al

FIRE Francois Giguere NOW! He will single handedly ruin this once-proud organization. Stupid decisions with player personnel, and now stupid decisions with the coaching staff.

I’m already predicting that we can kiss the playoffs good bye next year.

Peter

At least patronize us and do some due diligence. This thing was handled the wrong way. This is a bad sign that something is seriously wrong in our management. Kinda like the Islanders hiring Garth Snow. It just doesn’t make any sense to a reasonable person.

I like the idea of bring in Dineen as an assistant. But still, I can’t get past this – the team is moving backwards instead of forwards. Fans will be in a frenzy if this move doesn’t work… again!

Peter

At least patronize us and do some due diligence. This thing was handled the wrong way. This is a bad sign that something is seriously wrong in our management. Kinda like the Islanders hiring Garth Snow. It just doesn’t make any sense to a reasonable person.

I like the idea of bring in Dineen as an assistant. But still, I can’t get past this – the team is moving backwards instead of forwards. Fans will be in a frenzy if this move doesn’t work… again!

Peter

Yes, my expectation is one more year of up and down play. Dashed hopes and more empty feelings. What is the plan for this team?

It’s like eating a rice cake. Smells good and looks like a big cookie, but leaves you wanting so much more.

Peter

Yes, my expectation is one more year of up and down play. Dashed hopes and more empty feelings. What is the plan for this team?

It’s like eating a rice cake. Smells good and looks like a big cookie, but leaves you wanting so much more.

Haven’t we seen this show already? Yea he has the highest winning percentage, with a better team (2003) and where has that gotten us? And what about that crappy PK? No playoffs next year….

Frank in Detroit

Haven’t we seen this show already? Yea he has the highest winning percentage, with a better team (2003) and where has that gotten us? And what about that crappy PK? No playoffs next year….

GTY

Im a Granato fan, as both a player and a coach. On the ice he was a passionite, hard to play against two way winger who played a lot of shifts with injuries, over 1,000 career penalty minutes. I was surprised and disappointed when the Avs demoted him after two great regular seasons, I am hoping his time as an assistant has “seasoned” him.

I also find it interesting that all the Av pundits and plenty of band wagon fans, talk about the move as a poor one, but I admire the fact that there is some loyalty within this organization. Sure they could have brought in someone else, but they decided to give someone who worked very hard for it a second chance. Again, I think that this decision demonstrates loyalty not a move because they wanted someone who would walk lock step with the Avs organization. I for one would not want to see any coach who had anything to do with the Red Wings, Burns and Wilson would have brought good old fashion and boring trap and transition hockey.

No Granato was here when the Avs were skating circles around the rest of the league; he knows just what kind of hockey Avs fans are going to pay to see.

GTY

Im a Granato fan, as both a player and a coach. On the ice he was a passionite, hard to play against two way winger who played a lot of shifts with injuries, over 1,000 career penalty minutes. I was surprised and disappointed when the Avs demoted him after two great regular seasons, I am hoping his time as an assistant has “seasoned” him.

I also find it interesting that all the Av pundits and plenty of band wagon fans, talk about the move as a poor one, but I admire the fact that there is some loyalty within this organization. Sure they could have brought in someone else, but they decided to give someone who worked very hard for it a second chance. Again, I think that this decision demonstrates loyalty not a move because they wanted someone who would walk lock step with the Avs organization. I for one would not want to see any coach who had anything to do with the Red Wings, Burns and Wilson would have brought good old fashion and boring trap and transition hockey.

No Granato was here when the Avs were skating circles around the rest of the league; he knows just what kind of hockey Avs fans are going to pay to see.

Dana

Granato wasn’t good enough the first time to keep the job. What a disappointment. And he was responsible for the lousy PP this year. Yes, his regular season record was good as head coach, but he also had a team loaded with high caliber players, and let’s not forget the early playoff exits.

Are the Avs afraid to bring in some new blood, someone who will not be a puppet? I’ll think twice before plunking down the $$$ for a ticket next year. It’s the same old coach, same old thing. The Avs track record since the salary cap has proved one thing: PL was great when he had lots of money at his disposal. Is the mediocrity the new goal?

Apparently Granato is energetic and hardworking. Well so am I, maybe my company will promote me to president, plus give me a second chance in case things don’t work out the first time around.

Dana

Granato wasn’t good enough the first time to keep the job. What a disappointment. And he was responsible for the lousy PP this year. Yes, his regular season record was good as head coach, but he also had a team loaded with high caliber players, and let’s not forget the early playoff exits.

Are the Avs afraid to bring in some new blood, someone who will not be a puppet? I’ll think twice before plunking down the $$$ for a ticket next year. It’s the same old coach, same old thing. The Avs track record since the salary cap has proved one thing: PL was great when he had lots of money at his disposal. Is the mediocrity the new goal?

Apparently Granato is energetic and hardworking. Well so am I, maybe my company will promote me to president, plus give me a second chance in case things don’t work out the first time around.

Tom Kaufman

Let me get this straight, the top assistant coach who runs the best power play for the best hockey team in the NHL who happen to be representing the West in the Stanley Cup Finals is available and Giguere doesn’t talk to him!!! Memo to Stan Kronke, hire a Swedish GM and lose the French Canadian Connection

Tom Kaufman

Let me get this straight, the top assistant coach who runs the best power play for the best hockey team in the NHL who happen to be representing the West in the Stanley Cup Finals is available and Giguere doesn’t talk to him!!! Memo to Stan Kronke, hire a Swedish GM and lose the French Canadian Connection

Ed

I don’t understand the impulsive comments. I was at every home game this season. Coach Q killed this team with constant disruption and his doghouse. His style made this team play desparate every game and ultimately caused many of our players to get in situations that caused them injury. The players never got used to anything or any teammate. The passes were never crisp, the transition was poor, thus the PP was terrible. Coach Q didn’t put players in a position to succeed and use their strengths, he did it his way and he failed at the old style choking defense. The last time St. Louis won the Presidents Trophy they were eliminated in the first round, I think in 4 straight. This years AVs Team had the Quenville stamp on it, and Tony did what an assistant should do, support the coaches philosophy and ideas. This years team was not Granatos Team.

Granato is just the guy we need. He is the perfect mentor between the veterans and the young players. He has passion and class, and the players respect him. He will develop and motivate our young players and use our veterans effectively. Granato deserved this shot and if he fails, then he fails, but there is no guarantee that either of the other supposed TOP candidates would succeed either.

By the way, P.C. brought 2 Cups here. Scoreboard is everything, talk is cheap. We are a few years from the lockout. The first year the AV’s were stuck with prelockout agreements where Blake and Sakic got big portions of the Cap money, or maybe the bandwagoners don’t know that. We lost great players because those 2 agreements absorbed 1/3 of our cap, not because of P.C., because of the strike.

Ed

I don’t understand the impulsive comments. I was at every home game this season. Coach Q killed this team with constant disruption and his doghouse. His style made this team play desparate every game and ultimately caused many of our players to get in situations that caused them injury. The players never got used to anything or any teammate. The passes were never crisp, the transition was poor, thus the PP was terrible. Coach Q didn’t put players in a position to succeed and use their strengths, he did it his way and he failed at the old style choking defense. The last time St. Louis won the Presidents Trophy they were eliminated in the first round, I think in 4 straight. This years AVs Team had the Quenville stamp on it, and Tony did what an assistant should do, support the coaches philosophy and ideas. This years team was not Granatos Team.

Granato is just the guy we need. He is the perfect mentor between the veterans and the young players. He has passion and class, and the players respect him. He will develop and motivate our young players and use our veterans effectively. Granato deserved this shot and if he fails, then he fails, but there is no guarantee that either of the other supposed TOP candidates would succeed either.

By the way, P.C. brought 2 Cups here. Scoreboard is everything, talk is cheap. We are a few years from the lockout. The first year the AV’s were stuck with prelockout agreements where Blake and Sakic got big portions of the Cap money, or maybe the bandwagoners don’t know that. We lost great players because those 2 agreements absorbed 1/3 of our cap, not because of P.C., because of the strike.

Greg

No one has put the blame on the players, they after all are the ones playing. The coaches can only do so much, these are grown men who have to have the drive and passion to play hard ever night. Ya our powerplay with horrific and i didn’t like Coach Q, but I think TG will be a good coach. He will do will with the young players. I see him as a Terry Francona a players manager or coach. He was once a great player and he knows what it takes to get the job done, but he isn’t going to try and scare players or take ice time away like coach Q, he is going to pull them aside talk to them one on one and let them know what it takes to make it to the top. Look at the Sox since Terry took over, all the players love to play for him, it’s a loose atmosphere, but they all play hard and want to win every night, and he brings that to them. Ya they have a lot of great players but so do the Yankee’s and look how good they are playing. Sure I would have loves to have Burns, but i think with the New NHL (which needs to go back to way hockey should be played) I don’t think burns would be a good fit. I think he need some years helping team Canada and relearning the new game before he can come back and be a successful coach.

Greg

No one has put the blame on the players, they after all are the ones playing. The coaches can only do so much, these are grown men who have to have the drive and passion to play hard ever night. Ya our powerplay with horrific and i didn’t like Coach Q, but I think TG will be a good coach. He will do will with the young players. I see him as a Terry Francona a players manager or coach. He was once a great player and he knows what it takes to get the job done, but he isn’t going to try and scare players or take ice time away like coach Q, he is going to pull them aside talk to them one on one and let them know what it takes to make it to the top. Look at the Sox since Terry took over, all the players love to play for him, it’s a loose atmosphere, but they all play hard and want to win every night, and he brings that to them. Ya they have a lot of great players but so do the Yankee’s and look how good they are playing. Sure I would have loves to have Burns, but i think with the New NHL (which needs to go back to way hockey should be played) I don’t think burns would be a good fit. I think he need some years helping team Canada and relearning the new game before he can come back and be a successful coach.

brad

Just a clarification. Bandwagon fans wouldn’t be posting on this site because they would have lost interest in the team either 1 month or 3 years ago. Being critical isn’t the same as being on the bandwagon.

Further, if Granato was just supporting Q’s crappy system, then what could he have possibly learned in 3 years to justify making him the head coach again after it was deemed he was too inexperienced after 2004?

brad

Just a clarification. Bandwagon fans wouldn’t be posting on this site because they would have lost interest in the team either 1 month or 3 years ago. Being critical isn’t the same as being on the bandwagon.

Further, if Granato was just supporting Q’s crappy system, then what could he have possibly learned in 3 years to justify making him the head coach again after it was deemed he was too inexperienced after 2004?

Brian, Aurora

We are witnessing the making of the Colorado Maple Leafs. The Toronto Leafs are stuck in a circle by recycling a few hockey brains that they have and are afraid to inject new blood in this circle.
For Colorado to ever be an elite team again we need to shake up the front office and that starts with PL. Lacroix must go.

Brian, Aurora

We are witnessing the making of the Colorado Maple Leafs. The Toronto Leafs are stuck in a circle by recycling a few hockey brains that they have and are afraid to inject new blood in this circle.
For Colorado to ever be an elite team again we need to shake up the front office and that starts with PL. Lacroix must go.

GTY

I don’t know…it is what it is, no sense crying about it. My first choice would not have been Granato, but I’m happy for him and his family. I grew up a Kings fan before moving to Denver the year the Avs came from Quebec. I loved Tony Granato; he was about 150 pounds soaking wet, but about 100 lbs of that was heart. This move is not going to make me stop being a fan and I am going to be pulling for Tony. What was he supposed to do? Not take the job? There is a risk here and if it doesn’t work, well them it will be time for a new GM, as he is really out on a limb. But I will be pulling hard for the Avs and Tony next year.

It will be interesting if this has any influence on what one poster called “old legs” Sakic and Forsberg staying another year. The poster is obvioulsy a kid who hasn’t a clue about hockey and has no respect for the game itself. Hey I have an idea; how about Granato keeps Sakic behind the bench with him if he chooses to hang them up like I think he will. I think Peter will be gone too.

Good luck Tony and congratulations. Have a good off season boys; get healthy and excited about the new season. I can’t wait to see a healthy Svatos and Smyth, or a Foote Clarke blueline until October! Things don’t look that dire for the future.

GTY

I don’t know…it is what it is, no sense crying about it. My first choice would not have been Granato, but I’m happy for him and his family. I grew up a Kings fan before moving to Denver the year the Avs came from Quebec. I loved Tony Granato; he was about 150 pounds soaking wet, but about 100 lbs of that was heart. This move is not going to make me stop being a fan and I am going to be pulling for Tony. What was he supposed to do? Not take the job? There is a risk here and if it doesn’t work, well them it will be time for a new GM, as he is really out on a limb. But I will be pulling hard for the Avs and Tony next year.

It will be interesting if this has any influence on what one poster called “old legs” Sakic and Forsberg staying another year. The poster is obvioulsy a kid who hasn’t a clue about hockey and has no respect for the game itself. Hey I have an idea; how about Granato keeps Sakic behind the bench with him if he chooses to hang them up like I think he will. I think Peter will be gone too.

Good luck Tony and congratulations. Have a good off season boys; get healthy and excited about the new season. I can’t wait to see a healthy Svatos and Smyth, or a Foote Clarke blueline until October! Things don’t look that dire for the future.

jeev

I thought Pierre Lacroix stepped down, looks like he still wears the pants Giguere. I can’t believe that Stan Kroenke would allow this circus management to continue this nonsense. This team used to be a respected team, we are a joke in the NHL. This management wants “yes” guys they can control, this was an opportunity to get the Avs fans back with a great choice, a new mind Dineen or McClellan, not retro Tony, didn’t they try this before? Pierre and Giguere go live in Detroit for a year and get some ideas on how to really run a team. That’s why they swept us, they know how to be successful every year.

jeev

I thought Pierre Lacroix stepped down, looks like he still wears the pants Giguere. I can’t believe that Stan Kroenke would allow this circus management to continue this nonsense. This team used to be a respected team, we are a joke in the NHL. This management wants “yes” guys they can control, this was an opportunity to get the Avs fans back with a great choice, a new mind Dineen or McClellan, not retro Tony, didn’t they try this before? Pierre and Giguere go live in Detroit for a year and get some ideas on how to really run a team. That’s why they swept us, they know how to be successful every year.

Adrian Dater

This just in :

Tony G was a top priority because he has the least girly name, and some good looks (one of the youngest and freshest faces)

Until next time, my funky monkey hommie bloggy lovers.

Adrian Dater

This just in :

Tony G was a top priority because he has the least girly name, and some good looks (one of the youngest and freshest faces)

Until next time, my funky monkey hommie bloggy lovers.

Casey from seattle

I was a bit surprised with this quick hire but i don’t think it will be as disastrous as most think. TG has gained more coaching experience, even if it’s WHAT NOT TO DO. I hope Sakic comes back for one more year. I never cared for JQ’s style and from his blues history, said enough right there. Unfortunately we are still recovering from the “win now” mentality of PL’s last minute trades, abet some key ones-bourque/blake,etc but we gave so many prospects and draft picks in the upcoming drafts for those deals and hence, we have been paying the price for those moves now with marginal up and coming youthful depth.
Go Av’s!!!!

Casey from seattle

I was a bit surprised with this quick hire but i don’t think it will be as disastrous as most think. TG has gained more coaching experience, even if it’s WHAT NOT TO DO. I hope Sakic comes back for one more year. I never cared for JQ’s style and from his blues history, said enough right there. Unfortunately we are still recovering from the “win now” mentality of PL’s last minute trades, abet some key ones-bourque/blake,etc but we gave so many prospects and draft picks in the upcoming drafts for those deals and hence, we have been paying the price for those moves now with marginal up and coming youthful depth.
Go Av’s!!!!

david k.

good thing the avs got tony g. locked up before san jose & tampa bay could steal him away!! nice move PL!

david k.

good thing the avs got tony g. locked up before san jose & tampa bay could steal him away!! nice move PL!

sakic

i really wanna know what kind of coach tony is, i know he wasn great last time anrd and i don really care who we get as coach, i was juss sick of quinvill’s style of watching brunette and sakic take da puck for 3 mins behinfd da net anden lossin it to a fast break that led to a 3-1. i hope tony playus a run and gun style and avs get bak to da old school dayz. we have da weapons and the speed, colorado is very underated in speed wise, most da guys on da roster and not even 6 feet and they are very fast. PS im happy tucker is comin, cant wait to see tucker and lappy to their thing

sakic

i really wanna know what kind of coach tony is, i know he wasn great last time anrd and i don really care who we get as coach, i was juss sick of quinvill’s style of watching brunette and sakic take da puck for 3 mins behinfd da net anden lossin it to a fast break that led to a 3-1. i hope tony playus a run and gun style and avs get bak to da old school dayz. we have da weapons and the speed, colorado is very underated in speed wise, most da guys on da roster and not even 6 feet and they are very fast. PS im happy tucker is comin, cant wait to see tucker and lappy to their thing

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.